actions that were dividing the communities", in breach of "commitments assumed by the State" in the friendly settlement procedure. 45. Finally, on July 20, 2005, following approval by the provincial Senate and Chamber of Deputies of the draft law calling voters of the Department of Rivadavia to a referendum, the petitioners sent the Commission a copy of the letter they had addressed on that date to the Special Representative for Human Rights, Industry of Foreign Relations, International Trade and Worship, advising her of their decision to terminate the friendly settlement procedure, based on the calling of that referendum. 46. The petitioners submitted a series of observations on the proposal of the Governor of the Province of Salta to distribute lands, indicating that, despite the various letters that they had sent to the national government, there was still no word on its position with respect to the funding needed to finalize distribution of the lands, a factor that in their judgment was essential for any future settlement of the conflict. 47. On October 3, 2005, the petitioners again requested the Commission to adopt the precautionary measures requested on July 12. In particular, they asked for suspension of the referendum declared unilaterally by the government of Salta for October 23 of that year, which they maintain interrupted the friendly settlement procedure that had been underway for more than five years. In turn, they asked the Commission to order the Argentine State to take measures to avoid constant intrusions into their territory, and to cease efforts to divide the indigenous organization and its communities and to ignore the legitimately elected authorities. 48. The petitioners also noted that the provincial government had begun an aggressive campaign to smear and destabilize Lhaka Honhat, and to promote the referendum. The petitioners indicate that the provincial government had urged a cacique of a community not involved in the conflict over lots 55 and 14 to file a complaint before the provincial courts, which was favorably received, ordering Lhaka Honhat to "abstain from any acts that would in any manner obstruct the right to vote in the referendum convened for October 23, 2005". The petitioners also indicate that the motion to declare certainty that they had filed against the provincial and national governments before the federal Supreme Court, to declare unconstitutional provincial law 7352 calling the referendum, had been rejected on September 27. They add that another appeal presented by a group of individuals to the provincial courts was not dealt with, successive magistrates having declared

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents